Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-10-11
ROGER LAROQUE.
Adapted and Translated from the French
of Jules Mary.
BY OLIVE HARPER.

'No, Tor when returned to this country
one of my first visits was to this place, and
the neglected air was too painful to me, so /
vent as William Forney aud leased both
these places, and had Mother Dondaine put
both houses In order, and If what you think
could possibly be true, shall DO doubly glad
did SOL Hr teFF
During this conversation Pivolot was doing
oil he could to restore tho poor young woman
to consciousness, but without avail. She
breathed, however, regularly though family,
and knowing nothing better 10 do he retired
from sight Of her and stood waiting for Iris
tot to return
Tristot had found and sent the doctor post
haste, without saying who be was to find at
the supposed deserted house. When be
reached there and found the two magistrates
and the American be was surprised, but when
llo saw his patient his establishment turned to
absolute fear, so that it was with difficulty
he could administer. the needful remedies.
When he came out Of the room he saw that
the strange man appeared horribly agitated,
nnd that he clasped his bands as he said In
IN entreating voice: doctor, pray you
tell me il you know herr
SWho are you, and have you Alright to aski"
ale has, DOCTOR" said N. Lacroix, "and IL
Is our request that you tell him If you know"
every we'll, then. 1t is the lady whom we
havo all believed dead these ten years, whose
supposed body saw and whose funeral
attended-in word, Nine. Henriette La
roque.'
"Are you positive-certain, without the
possibility Of doubt Tell me true, doctorl"
"Of course l am. Haven't I known her
ever since her childhood Have | not at
tended her and her little girl in every illness
they hadl only wonder how could have
been such a laundering donkey BEFORE .---
Still Roger dared not hope. lie could be-
levo no one but himself, and he had not seen
her. Besides, he thought, there is but one
lamp, and by its feeble light they cannot see
clearly, and so the poor man tried to shut his
heart against hope, fearing disappointment
Just now Tristot was heard without, and
some one with him, and ho came up stairs
with a triumphant air and handful OF
candles which he had hastily purchased. -
The person who was with him was not
Mother Dondnine, but the good and gentle
old Nine Dubois. He had seen her hurrying
along the street, peeping anxiously in every
direction, as il hunting for some one or some
thing. ~
"Oh, sirl" said she to Tristot shave you
eeen young woman dressed in black pass by
herel She slipped out and cannot find her.
She Is Just like a little child in her mind, sir;
one OF Gods own you know, q natural,
and / am 50 frightened don't know what
will become Of her here. She never wanted
to leave us at all in the valley"
"Come with me- i think l know some
thing Is she your daughterP cI
"No; she just appeared at our house like
the saints and miracles, and for ten years she
has lived with us, and we loved her and
treated her as II she was our own. She was
oil dressed in black, with her beautiful hair
all hanging in loose curls, and she had on one
slipper only.
She never told US who she was or where she
came from, and II we asked her anything she
always said: 4 know nothing about it, and
never saw anything and that was ALL
Tristot was satisfied now, and in few mo-
ments the old lady was by the poor young
wife's side, but her efforts, like the doctors,
did not seem to arouse her. Still, the doctor
said, she was in no immediate danger, and
seemed moro in lethargic slumber than
faint, and he Questioned the old woman, who
,
all who heard it Of Henrietteis identity.
When Roger heard this story he was so
overcome with joy and with the reaction Of
oil the emotions through which he had passed
during the last few weeks, that he was ALSO
lutely unable to sustain himself The
doctor raid:
@Wen, Roger, though It seems like reading
the widest romance to discover that you are
alive and here, and to know all that has
passed, must believe it all, strange as 1t Is.
Now have this 70 say, and hope you win
obey me. l wish to give you sleeping
potion and let you get a rest, which you
greatly need. As TO poor Henrietta, you
may go in and see her, just TO satisfy your
self, but you must not let yourself be seen.
1t Is now certain that this poor child has been
demented all these years, as the result
of the dreadful shock she experienced.
It Is possible, and even probable,
that this new shock on this poor child's brain
and nervous sensibilities may restore her rea-
Son, repeating itself, 30 TO speak, in such a
manner MS to call her shaken faculties 10 life
by the very thing which did her the first evil
"You say, Nine. Dubois, that she has ap.
peared restless and uneasy ever since you
brought her to Vile d'Avray. In my opinion
that is q good symptom and showed awaken
ing intelligence hardly dare arsert that
she will be restored, still feel that am jus
titled in telling you to hope Now, Roger
you may just step inside tho door and keeT
behind the bed curtains and take one look
but be careful no noise or motion to roust
her. Come, ] will go first with the light"
With knees that almost refused their burden
and eyes almost blinded with unshed tears
Roger, sitting his very breath, crept after The
doctor to verify or lose his last hope, AM
with one last prayer to God for strength tC
hear the disappointment If so it was to be, hc
looked through the curtains as the light fel
upon the sleeping face Of his bell ed wife.
Yes, 1t was she Her rich, dark hair lay In
massive WIVES and curls upon the white pill
lows, and the marble white brow was that
be had so often kissed. Those beautiful blue
veined lids with the delicntely penciled brows,
and thick, long lashes hid the tender eyes Of
Henriette, which were the indexes of soul
so noble and pure The perfect oval of the
face and the sensitive and beautiful mouth
were Henriette's own, and Roger often after
ward wondered why he did not die OF Joy
then.
He would have stood there forever, absorbed
in the delirium of his happiness, had the
doctor not come and led him out, softly clos
ing the door.
"Well, now, my boy, what do you thinki
1t Is our lost one, Is It mott You see your
sufferings are over, Roger. Come, now; you
must take what have here and go to your
room and Lie down and give yourself up alb